Sitting in a cinema, you may have noticed a sign that flashed on the screen: “Silence is Golden.” This is just a polite warning to eliminate phones and remain silent so that others can enjoy the show. The quote is a shortened version of a longer proverb: “Speech is silver and silence is gold”, which is believed to have it was created in ancient Egypt. In 1831 the saying was printed for the first time and explained in English by the poet Thomas Carlyle. He explains: “Silence is the element in which great things put themselves together; that they can finally stand up, fully formed and majestic, in the light of life that they must now rule.”
Through these beautiful words we see and feel the majesty of silence. We are in silent anticipation on the large premium of nature and wonderful displays, such as the Northern Lights, a sky full of shooting stars, or the unrealizing of the wings of a butterfly. As we have taken in these beautiful sights, we realize that words are not necessary – and will never be enough – to explain the miracle before our eyes. Silence is really gold.
There is much to collect in silence, either through meditation, silent reflection or honest observation. Recent studies have shown that silence does more than calm down, it actually regenerates brain cells.
But that much of our lives is not quiet. Between honking and buses in the city to call mobile phones, our lives – and brain – are constantly stimulated. Noise tells us that we earn money, stay “connected” and get deadlines. But on the other hand, many of us long for that special time of the day (or night) when we can sit still without sound or distraction. Sometimes we wait weeks, even months, before we find real silence. Until we find it, we enjoy the music of nature – waves crash on the coastline, grass zippers on the banks of a river, or birds tjilpen sweet songs in our windows.
Because of the ‘sound’ of nature we find our inner loneliness. We learn patience and release stress. We breathe in and out while the tides flow, clean ourselves from fears that overwhelm us. And when all the sounds of nature stop and we are in full silence, we learn to dive inside. We hear our own heartbeat, become more aware of our breath and notice our place in this wonderful world. We realize that we are not alone in this noisy, bustling – and at the same time creepy quiet world. Instead, we see that we are basically connected to nature, and that whatever happens inside, also happens in us.
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Interested? Read more! Learn how to disconnect and turn in with TCM.